Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Privileged Goes First and also Gas

This gas shortage business is, I think, a business. I think Ike stirred up a good excuse to cause a gas shortage, long lines at the few places that have gas, and after the bulk of it is withheld for a while, when it comes back at higher prices we will be so happy to buy gas freely with no lines, we won’t even think about complaining about the jacked up prices.

I hope I am wrong.

I have sat in line twice at Krogers to get gas and with the Kroger people directing traffic everything went smoothly.

Before Krogers this morning, at 6am I found a line backed up to a Shell Station. I got in the back of the line and edged one car length at a time towards the front. When I got within a few car lengths of the entrance from the road I noticed some people that went around the line and went in – but they went to the parking area and walked in. Which I reasoned, that was acceptable, why wait in the long line to the gas pumps when all you want is a lottery ticket or a pack or cigarettes or something.

One odd looking truck I noticed pulled into the lot but did not go in the store. He went around and got in the “next” line. He had some equipment in the back of his truck – he was probably a contractor. He pulled a fast one.

Then van drove in. In it was a lady with a veil on her face. They went directly to the pumps too. The man faceless lady got out and went in to buy something while the man, who had a long length robe on got out and pumped gas. Technically they did go inside but not before they found a place beside a pump. They pulled a fast one too.

When I got up in the lot I saw that all but one or two pumps had “OUT” signs on them and cars seemed in a jumbled mess in front of the two pumps. I left, I waited 45 minutes for nothing.

In my mind I was cursing the oil companies for directing such a mess. And I also cursed the contractor and the Muslim couple for demanding more privileges.

Who do they think they are? Better than us?

They may be. But, outwardly we don’t know that. There is no way of telling.

In India they operate a caste system. You tell it a person of higher class that deserves special privileges by the dot on their forehead. Maybe the U.S. should start that. Us commoners don’t know to bow to or get out of the way for or anything. It would make day to day living much simpler.

I was mulling over all this in the Kroger line this morning. It was be much better for people of high social standing if they could just break in line – turn around and show the person behind them their forehead dot, or jewelry, or maybe even expensive clothes.

The only problem I was thinking while sitting at a red light is redlights. How dare a light tell an person of privilege to “stop” for a commoner to go. I think this could be solved by putting some kind of privilege micro chip on the car.

wait! Some day the car will be worn and sold to a commoner. Maybe a micro chip implanted under the person’s skin will work better.

Well, by venting all this while in the car I didn’t have to go home and kick the neighbor’s dog (Willow is privileged).